Silkie thread!

[nayeli]

I just got a couple weeks old white Silkie chick from my friend @AZChiknGoddess . She's the best! Can't wait to take some pictures tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be a boy, so Georgette, my blue Silkie will have a BBF.

I REALLY want a blue silkie so in the future I can get splashes!

 

[Sylvester017]

Wow...another thing i hadn't thought of....swap meets or fair grounds...not that i've been to one since owning chickens, but now that i'm into chickens, i was thinking of going sometime in the future... changed my mind... or at least i know to be very careful now.... this is why i like reading this BYC forum ...i learn so much from everyone.... "Thank you my fellow chicken enthusiasts"

Fair grounds or any livestock areas are places I avoid now. I even question the sanity of local chicken meet-ups where people bring their birds to sell. Most people are solicitous and careful about their flocks but all it takes is one careless or unaware chickeneer to have "for sale" birds and spread diseases/parasites. Some diseases can be transferred through hatching eggs and all it takes is one unscrupulous seller on eBay to ruin it for the other 99% sellers who are honest. I ordered from a private breeder cross-country and when I received my POL bird shipment they had feather lice and one died in a couple weeks during quarantine from worms. These birds were old enough to have been wormed and lice treatment is easy so how could that breeder in good conscience send me infested birds? Buyer beware - not all breeders are careful and just want your $$$. I don't buy eggs from backyarders because I don't know what health maintenance they follow. If my hens aren't laying, I don't buy anyone else's. One store I buy eggs from is Trader Joe's but only if I don't have enough of my own eggs to bake during the holidays - I had to do that only one year so far!

Health maintenance schedules with a backyard flock takes extra work and $$$ to buy the appropriate products for both chickens and their housing. Lazy or unaware chickeneers want to raise chickens to sell meat and eggs without investing this time and $$$ into their flock's health. I am being very picky about who I get my birds from these days. Sometimes it takes me 6 months and several reviews/blogs before I'm satisfied about a breeder's reputation and health of birds/hatching eggs. Sometimes there are inherited genetic factors that can cause a bird's illness or unexpected death but certainly worms and lice and environment are easily preventable health hazards!!! JMHO

 

[Sylvester017]

Wow really? Is it really that dangerous? Have you guys experienced your chickens catching stuff from other chickens quite easily?

Just think "Ebola" - all it takes is one infected being to carry a virus/bacteria/disease to spread it around. So, we as chickeneers keep that in mind when purchasing, hatching, selling, or rehoming chickens. Most of us have healthy flocks and we work at keeping it that way even if it seems "fussy" for us to do so!

 

[Sylvester017]

Doesn't that make show birds kind of useless?

The very few show people I have had contact with are very fussy and likely belong to one or more certified chicken health organizations. It's like pulling teeth to see them or their birds. They usually will not ship their birds and have you attend the show for pickup if you purchase any of their precious stock. We are probably more of a threat to their show birds rather than the other way around. They also follow quarantine regimens and their birds are like their children - especially the show quality ones.

Now if you are talking about 4-H, County Fair. livestock auctions, or local home or park meet-up bird shows I would be a little more careful. I don't attend these types of shows because all clientele are not always the most knowledgeable or careful about what they bring to show. Don't mean to offend the majority of responsible show goers but just the few who are not certified or careful - JMHO.

 

[kada6305]

So I have 4 eggs in the incubator, 2 have externally piped.I can see egg #1's beak...The beak looks more blue than black with a yellowish Tip. My silkie that hatched last time had an entirely black beak...is this normal? I won't be able to tell completely until s/he hatches which prob wont be for another 12+hrs I just thought silkies were born with complete black skin/bones/beak. Only time will tell though.

 

[Fancychooklady]

So I have 4 eggs in the incubator, 2 have externally piped.I can see egg #1's beak...The beak looks more blue than black with a yellowish Tip. My silkie that hatched last time had an entirely black beak...is this normal? I won't be able to tell completely until s/he hatches which prob wont be for another 12+hrs I just thought silkies were born with complete black skin/bones/beak. Only time will tell though.

Depending on the colour of silkie, the SOP is anything from slate-leaden blue to black. I have however seen quite a few with yellow tips.

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Standard.html

 

[Fancychooklady]

Doesn't that make show birds kind of useless? 

If you were practicing correct bio security any birds that left your property would not be reintroduced to the flock for 4-6 weeks . So technically unless all your birds were all going to the show they would be spending a lot of time in quarantine .

 

[kada6305]

Depending on the colour of silkie, the SOP is anything from slate-leaden blue to black. I have however seen quite a few with yellow tips.

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Standard.html

Okay, thank you! The last chick that had a deep black beak was a Lavender.

 

[sonderah]

I've never got anything here and I plan on doing my best to keep it that way. It's up to me to protect them I would feel awful if I brought something home to them that made them sick and possibly die or become carriers for life. I have read horror story after horror story on here and seen a lot of heart ack. The story's I've read are enough to convince me. I won't set foot in a auction or swap. Everybody makes up their own mind about this. If you do get new chickens be sure to quarantine!

I completely agree! I am in that boat now folks! I have always been careful about my birds, but was ignorant to the fact that hatching eggs were dangerous!! I'm sitting here now about to vomit so nervous because in 2 hrs the dept of AG will be here to test my flock for MG/MS and if anyone tests positive I have to kill them! I hate myself for what I've done. When this is all over, there will DEF be a change in the way things are done! I've spent almost 2 yrs to get where I am now. LOTS AND LOTS of time, effort, & money!! I am completely heartbroken!

 

[kada6305]

We have a baby!! I won't be able to tell until s/he dries But I am thinking maybe a white silkie.



You can see how the beak goes from black,blue then to the yellowish.